Thousands protest in Indian Kashmir at death of Khamenei

Several thousand Shia Muslims joined street demonstrations in Indian-administered Kashmir on Sunday to protest against the killing of Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei after strikes by the United States and Israel.

Protesters holding red, black, and yellow flags converged on the main square in the heart of Srinagar, the main city of Indian Kashmir.

Many of them chanted anti-Israel and anti-US slogans during the emotionally charged but largely peaceful gathering.

“This day we are all very heavy hearted. We are mourning our beloved leader who was martyred,” Syed Towfeeq, 40, told AFP.

“We all have a message for the (US President Donald) Trump…We will always stand against your oppression.

“If you think that you have martyred our beloved leader, you are in an illusion… You cannot oppress while we, the sons of Khamenei, are alive.”

Another protester, Ishfaq Wani, 43, urged Muslim countries to unite “under one flag”.

Similar protests were held in other places across Kashmir and other parts of India with a sizeable Shia Muslim presence.

Omar Abdullah, chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir state, said he was “deeply concerned” about the developments in Iran.

He also urged protesters to remain calm and “avoid any actions that could lead to tension or unrest”.

“We must also ensure that those who are mourning in Jammu and Kashmir are allowed to grieve peacefully,” he said on X.

Iranian state television reported Khamenei’s death in the early hours of Sunday, broadcasting archive images with a black banner.

Iranian media also reported the deaths of his daughter, son-in-law and granddaughter.